Sectional support for portable conveyers



Oct. 10, 1950 Gl. MANIERRE 2,525,555

SEGTIONAL SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE CONVEYERS Oct. 10, 1950 G. MANIERRE 2,525,555

SECTIONAL SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE CONVEYERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 7, 1945 Ma, mf M ATTORNEYS Oct. 10, 1950 G. MANIERRE 2,525,555

SECTIONAL suPPoT FOR PORTABLE coNvEYERs;`

Filed Nov. fr, 145 s Shnets-sneet s *F 7 INVENTOR 656266 MAN/sees ATTO RNEYS Patented Oct. 10, 1950 SECTIONAL SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE CONVEYERS George Manierre, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application November 7, 1945, Serial No. 627,164

3 Claims. (Cl. ISS-109) My invention relates to improvements in sectional supports for portable conveyors, with particular reference to conveyors of the general type described in my former Patent No. 2,250,933, dated July 29, 1941.

The object of this invention is to provide a train of wheel supported frame sections having increased flexibility at the frame section joints, combined with greater stability and ease of manipulation than has heretofore been possible to obtain.

A further object is to provide a simplified and inexpensive conveyor supporting structure peculiarly adapted for unloading operations.

More specifically stated, my object is to provide a train of pivotally connected conveyor supporting frame members or sections with wheel supported platforms at the joints, upon each of which platforms the ends of two frame sections may have anti-friction bearing along a circular path concentric with the pivot axis, and to provide improved means for controlling the pivotal movements of the respective sections with reference to each other, whereby a flexible conveyor may be supported for travel along either a straight or a serpentine path leading from a loading to an unloading station.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an unloading conveyor embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan View of a set of resiliently connected two-wheeled trucks, having platforms mounted thereon for transporting and positioning the flexibly connected conveyor supporting frame sections shown in Figure l, and showing driving motors mounted on two of the platforms.

Figure 3 is a detail view of one of the guideways and a truck guiding roller.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of fragments of two of the connected intermediate sections shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of one of the motor supporting sections, partly broken away to show the differential gearing to which the motor is connected.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of fragments of two pivotally connected conveyor supporting sections, showing a modication.

Figure '7 is a section taken on line 'l-1 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the modified structure shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures l to 5, inclusive, the conveyor Iii may be assumed to be a universally flexible endless conveyor, such, for example as that shown in my former Patent 2,250,933. It is mounted on a portable support composed of spaced, flexibly connected sections, some substantially rigid and pivotally connected with other sections for relative swinging movement in a horizontal plane, and others similarly connected but having their end frames linked for swinging movement in a vertical plane, whereby the support as a whole may be propelled along a serpentine path which may be wholly or partially horizontal or inc-lined, or pitched at various angles in diiferent portions thereof.

In Figure l, I have illustrated five of these sections, including a receiving section A at the left, three intermediate sections and a delivery section B at the right. Two intermediate sections C are flexible in vertical planes and one substantially rigid intermediate section D is located between the sections C. But the number of intermediate sections may be varied indefinitely in correspondence with the length of the conveyor Il! as used for any given installation.

The delivery section B` carries an unloading conveyor I I, preferably of an ordinary endless belt type. The receiving end of its frame I2 is pivoted to a cross shaft I3 adjacent the cross shaft I4 at the delivery end of the conveyor IIJ. The other end of the frame I2 is carried by vertically adjustable supports I5 whereby this end of the unloading conveyor may be manually raised or lowered according to the height of the pile of articles.

A conveyor driving motor I6 is mounted on this section B and drives the conveyor I through a chain I'I. The conveyor Il is driven from cross shaft Ill through a chain I8 and, cross shaft I3. The flights I9 of the conveyor I@ are supported at intervals by plates 2li carried by the intermediate frame sections, which also carry top plates 25 flanking the conveyor IIl. Chain guides 26, similar to those disclosed in said former patent are also employed. All of these parts may be of known construction, and as they are not claimed herein, they require no further description.

The receiving and delivery sections A and B may be provided with casters or caster-like rollers 21, but the lower cross bars 28 of their opposing end frames have anti-friction bearings resting on wheel supported platforms 3U. v

The platforms SII are each provided with a central pivot post or king bolt 3l, and the cross bars 28 of each section are provided with spacing arms t2, 32, (Figure 4), pivotally connected with their associated pivot posts 3l. The upper cross bars 35 of each section have similar spacing arms 36, 35 pivotally connected with each other at 31 in the axial lines of the respective pivot posts 3l. Therefore each section may swing horizontally with reference to the sections to which it is connected. In the construction illustrated, their anti-friction bearings E9 comprise rollers journaled in ear-shaped brackets 38 carried by the bars 28 and obliquely positioned for travel of the rollers 29 along a circular path concentric with their associated pivot posts at a radius determined by the arms 32 and 36, 32 and 35.

The end frames of the sections D are connected at top and bottom by side bars lill and lll and oblique braces 42. Therefore these sections are substantially rigid. The end frames of the intermediate sections C have only their upper portions connected by link bars i4 pivoted at l5 to the respective end frames, and these link bars are capped by flexible plates 25 which project loosely over the end frames to allow the sections to swing upon each other in vertical planes.

Each platform 30 may be s-upported by a pair of widely spaced wheels 5t), and some of the platforms may be provided with motors 52 (Figure 5), mounted on open-ended housings 55 which cover the pivot posts 3l. These motors may each be connected to drive their associated wheels 5U through a motor driven sprocket chain 53, a differential gear set 59, and live axles 6l and S2 journaled in bearings 53 and 5d depending from the respective platforms.

The bearings 64 have a depending bracket 66 provided'with a stud shaft 61 provided with an idle roller 68 adapted to travel in a suitable guideway 69. Curved guideways 69 (Figure 3), may be employed at all bends in the line of conveyor travel, and the rollers 68, supported from the two spaced bearings Bri will cause the axles to assume positions at right angles to the line of travel when traversing curves. Platforms not provided with motors may be supported by any suitable axles from their associated idle wheels 5i), as indicated, for example, in the modified construction shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8, and hereinafter described.

In order that the train of sections may be propelled in either direction along either a straight or sinuous path without forming abrupt corners or angles, which would interfere with conveyor movement, all of the sections are yieldingly connected by a resilient rod l5, one end of which is secured to one of the end sections as indicated at l5 in Figure 1.

The rod l5 passes loosely through apertures in hangers Il depending from the various platforms 35, each platform having at least two hangers Ti, (Figure 4) near its front and rear margins. The rod is preferably formed of steel sections connected end to end at I8, and it has sufiicient resistance to bending stress to require the train of sections to follow a broad arcuate curve in passing around corners. Location of this rod below the platforms and between wheels 5i), which are set wide apart, gives added stability to the structure.

The platforms Si) not only provide supports and circular runways for the rollers 29 carried by the end frames of the respective sections, but they also make it possible to support the motors 52 therefrom by means of open-ended housings 56 which cover the pivot posts 3 l, and to use hangers 'Vl to support the resilient rod i8 immediately above the live axle 62, (Figure 4), or even below it (Figure 6). By utilizing motors 52 to differen tially drive the widely spaced traction wheels 50 through their live axles El and 62, it becomes possible to dispense with the centrally disposed single traction wheels disclosed in my former patent and substitute therefor the idle guide rollers 68 which travel in rolling point contact in the runways 69 to steer the apparatus along curved lines as above explained.

In the present structure, traction is applied on both sides of the line of guidance, and the guide rollers 55 have their vertical shafts 61 in the same plane with the live axles Si and 52. This reorganization provides improved traction and greatly increased stability, due to the new relation of rod 'i8 to the traction wheels and the platforms.

The modification disclosed in Figures 6, 7 and 8 is designed for use in connection with small or lightly loaded conveyors which do not require motors and traction wheels to propel the apparatus from place to place. In this modied construction a platform |35, corresponding to the platform 3i) in Figures l to 5, inclusive, is mounted directly upon the horizontal flange of an angleshaped axle bar Si? which has forked end portions 8i in which are mounted the wheel axles S2 upon which the wheels E55 may be idly mounted, as shown in Figures 6, '7 and 8. If the articles to be carried by the conveyor are of light weight the entire assembly may be of correspondingly light weight and the sections may be of less weight. This also allows a further reduction in weight, whereby the entire assembly may be manually propelled into and out of position for use.

As shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8, the rod 175 may be suspended by hangers il? below the axles 8s. The king bolt or post i3! may connect the axle bar Si), platform |35, and the plate upon which the conveyor chain bears on the return side. In both forms of construction, the hangers Ti (or il?) are substantially rigid and are rigidw ly connected with the front and rear marginal portions of the respective platforms. The spacing arms 32, 32', 3S and 36 are of sufficient length to allow each section to swing horizontally to the extent permitted by the resilient rod l5 without bringing one side of its end frame into contact with the end frame of the next section.

I claim:

l. In combination with a universally lexible endless conveyor a plurality of conveyor supporting sections having spaced links pivotally connected with each other for swinging adjustment of the section in a horizontal plane, of wheel supported'platforms each positioned underneath the ends of two pivotally connected sections, and rollers carried by each section for travel on its associated platform along a circular path concentric with the pivotal axis of the connection between the sections.

2. In combination with a universally flexible endless conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor supporting sections severally having space ing links extending from the tcp and bottom at the ends thereof, the top and the bottom links of adjacent section ends being pivotaily connected with each other for swinging adjustment of the sections in a horizontal plane, wheel-supported platforms positioned beneath the spacing links of each two pivotally connected sections, and rollers carried by each section for travel on the associated platforms in a circular path concentric with the axes of the pivotal connections between the spacing links of the sections.

3. In combination with a universally exible endless conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor supporting sections severally having spacing links extending from the top and bottom at the ends thereof, the top and the bottom links o some of the adjacent section ends being pivotally connected in vertically spaced relation With each other for swinging adjustment of the sections in both horizontal and vertical planes, the pivots being axially alined, Wheel-supported platforms 10 positioned beneath the spacing links of each tWo pivotally connected sections, and rollers mounted in supporting relationship upon each section for travel on the associated platforms in a circular path concentric with the axes of the pivotal conl5 nections between the sections.

GEORGE MANIERRE.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,250,933 Manierre July 29, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 486,833 France Feb. 19, 1918 

